this is fox 5 morning news sunday. ahead this morning, the countdown is on for two huge stories coming out of d.c. just less than two days to go until we go over the fiscal cliff and we are hours away from the redskins-cowboys game for the nfc east title. good morning. i'm melanie alnwick. we are all over both stories. we will have a live interview on the latest on the fiscal cliff negotiations and hear from the big skins players this evening. what will the weather be like at kickoff? we have run the gamut when it comes to mother nature in

recent days. many parts of our regions saw snow as well as snow and slush made it difficult on some of the roads. fast forward and here's how things are looking out right now. much of the snow and slush gone but it is windy and cold out there. gwen tolbart has the latest on the weather. [ no audio ] [ no audio ] >> can you hear me? where we've got the satellite radar composite and you can see where all the snow has moved off to the northeast and headed to the canadian maritime. here at home, things are

different. clouds rolling in across the area but we will see clear skies into the course of tonight. not bad with a few clouds hanging around. here's a look at current wind gusts because that is a big story, they are gusting up to 33 miles an hour in many of our neighborhoods between 33 and 40 into the day before it's said and done. temperaturewise we are into the 30s, however, factor in the wind and it actually feels like it is only in the 20s across our area. take a look, only 28 degrees is the wind chill factor in terms of d.c. right now. so pretty much on the chilly side. for today, here's a look at what's happening. we will see the clouds starting to roll out a little bit. we will have sunshine, 36 degrees by midday with the gusty winds and that all important game kickoff at 8:20, mostly clear, we will see a few clouds but mostly clear skies but it will be cold. 34 degrees in the -- and the good news at that point, melanie, is the fact that the winds will have died down at that point. so your forecast for new year's eve is coming up as well. i'll have that a little bit

later. back to you. >> looking forward to that one too, gwen. thanks so much. and the state of the skins comes down to this, a rivalry showdown with the dallas cowboys, a win and washington wins the nfc east. a loss and they will need help from two teams in order to make the playoffs. this will be the final game of the season for dallas. if they lose, the game has an eerily familiar feeling for the cowboys who last to the giants in this very situation last season. the g men went on to win it all. the skins can make the postseason if they lose but only if both the bears and the vikings get beat today. the burgundy and gold hope it doesn't get to that point and that they can ride the momentum of their six game winning streak. >> the pressure we are used to because our backs have been against the wall but this is really everything on the line or the season is done until next year so everybody is going to be playing, you know, with

just leave it on the field. >> these are the games you'll remember for the rest of your life, win or go home. i don't care what playoff game. when i look back, as an assistant or head coach, you go back and you think about the great experiences you had or the bad memories you have because you want to take advantage of these opportunities when they exist. they don't come around every day. >> kickoff at fedex field is at 8:20 tonight and a little side note. only three teams since 1990 have made the playoffs after starting season 3 or 6. the last team was the 1996 jaguars. we will have more on the skins- cowboys showdown later in sports and get the prediction. the countdown to fiscal cliff is also in its final hours. they worked into the wee hours of this morning and expected to take up talks again later today. a live look now at the u.s. capitol where the house and senate will go back into a rare sunday session this afternoon. yesterday president obama used his weekly address to urge the

senate to at least put together a basic package to protect americans from an income tax hike. >> we just can't afford a politically self-inflicted wound to our economy. >> today is a critical day. senate leaders hope to get legislation on paper by tonight ready for a vote on monday. lawmakers are trying to strike a deal to avoid automatic tax hikes for everyone and also to avoid across the board spending cuts. fox 5's [ audio difficulty ] has more at -- audrey barnes has more at what is at steak. >> reporter: try and hammer out a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff describe the talks as productive but the talks didn't produce an agreement. from the senate floor words of optimism from minority leader mitch mcconnell. >> we are engaged in discussions, the majority leader and myself in the white house in the hopes that we can come forward as early as sunday and have a recommendation. >> reporter: senate majority

leader harry reid took a cautionary tone, perhaps to allay the fears of americans who are wondering how going off the cliff will affect their paychecks. analysts say taxes on people making between 50,000 and $75,000 a year will go up an average of $2400. >> whenever we come up -- whatever we come up is going to be imperfect. some people aren't going to like it, some people will like it less but that's where we are. i feel confident that we have an obligation to do the best we can and that was made very clear in the white house. >> reporter: president obama says it's important for congress to vote on some type of package before the fiscal cliff deadline expires. >> if an agreement isn't reached in time between senator reid and senator mcconnell, then i will urge senator reid to bring to the floor a basic package for an upor -- up or down vote, one that protects the middle class

from a hike, extends insurance to 2 million americans looking for a job and lays the groundwork for future cooperation on more economic growth and deficit reduction. >> the current congress only be in session until january 3rd. after that, 13 new senators and 82 new house members will take over and inherit this huge problem, right out of the congressional gate. audrey barnes, fox 5 news. >> critics are most concerned about the -- spending will be cut by more than $50 billion but exactly what is cut is still to be determined. >> going to affect the operational force that's deployed in terms of its ability to maintain its equipment, to get repair parts and that forces -- not just the force that's in afghanistan that's being reduced. it would impact on the training of the force and its preparedness to conduct other

operations. >> whatever happens, analysts say citizens won't see any trouble if congress doesn't make changes exactly by the new year. they still have the first few days of 2013 to act. and we are following a developing story. former president george h.w. bush's condition continues to improve. he was moved out of intensive care on saturday and is back in a regular room in a houston hospital. the 41st president has been hospitalized since the day after thanksgiving for a bronchitislike cough. he was moved to the icu when he developed a fever last sunday. president bush is 88 years old. and new this morning, d.c. police investigating a shooting. it happened just minutes after midnight in the 3400 block of profit place in southeast. so far no word on the condition of the victim or if police made any arrests. as soon as we get more information we will pass it along to you. d.c. police investigating a shooting in the 5000 block in the southeast. this happened around 9:00 last night. the victim was shot inside that

car that you see up on the curb. when emergency crews arrived, the victim was dead in the -- and the car was on fire. so far that victim's name has not been released and no arrests have been made. fairfax county police did make an arrest in connection to the deadly shooting of a teenager. 22-year-old johnny bonilla is facing murder charges for the stabbing of 19-year-old javier stringfellow to death. stringfellow's body was found in a car off chaimbridge road in the vienna area friday night. the suspect may have tried to cover up the teen's death by making it look like he got into a car accident. new details surrounding the new york subway death. a suspect is under arrest for murder. we will tell you why she is accused of a hate crime. and final preps underway for the annual new year's eve bash in new york city. we will have the latest from times square when we return. @?

some of the stories making headlines this morning. the first legal action is underway in connection to the school shooting in newtown, connecticut. a lawyer has asked to sue the state of connecticut for $100 million on behalf of a 6-year- old survivor. the lawyer claims the state failed to protect the child from foreseeable harm. states are generally immune from such lawsuits so the suit cannot go forward unless the state agrees to allow it. scary moments in phoenix arizona this weekend. a woman was kidnapped and forced to rob her bank. coworkers arrived to work saturday morning and found the woman with some kind of device around her neck. fortunately bomb squad crews were able to remove the device. it turned out not to be explosive. the suspect is still on the loose, still unclear whether any money was actually stolen. protesters are gathering once again in the indian capitol of new delhi following the death of a woman who was gang raped and beaten on a bus in the city. she suffered severe organ damage in the attack two weeks

ago. six men charged with murder. they face the death penalty if convicted. investigators in pakistan believe 33 people were killed and several more sickened because of cough syrup. the victims reportedly took the cough syrup to get drunk. it contained a synthetic drug which can cause intoxication in large quantities. 23 people in pakistan were killed from drinking too much cough sir lip last month -- syrup last month. erica menendez is accused of shoving a man into the subway. she told authorities she hates muslims and hindus. prosecutors believed she assumed the victim practiced one of those religions. workers putting the finishing touches on the big new year's eve party in new york city. about a million people will pack into times square to watch the ball drop and ring in 2013.

>> reporter: already decorated for the holidays, preps for the world's biggest new year's party are now underway in the big apple. times square alliance officials tested the confetti that will fall after midnight throwing it out a window onto unsuspecting people on the street. more than 1 million revelers will park into times square to watch the ball drop monday night, a billion more will watch from home. the 2013 sign is already situated on top of one times square, it's seven fete tall -- 7 feet tall. after four decades of dick clark helping america ring in the new year, 2013 will be the first celebration following his death. a special waterford crystal with clark's name engraved on it will be in the ball this year. we spoke with his wife who says she remembers watching the weather report this time of year since she knew they would be outside for so many hours and always looked forward to their new year's kiss. >> i sort of separate, the only way i can deal with this whole thing is i think of the television dick clark not my husband and then i can deal

with it, if i have to think of that's my husband, he's not here, that's hard. >> depending who you ask, 13 is considered lucky to some, unlucky to others but for the superstitious out there, dreading 2013 no need to fear. good luck charms have been attached to the 13 to washed off the potential bad luck. in new york city, ana koiman fox news. the next chapter of one of nfl's biggest rivalries hours away. coming up we talk to a redskins expert about how rare tonight's match-up really is. 

it doesn't get any better than this, does it? the redskins and the cowboys for the nfc east title. since 1960 the washington- dallas game has been called one of the best rivalries in professional sports. they will face off at fedex field tonight at what's being

called one of the most highly anticipated games of the nfl season. mike richmond has written two books about the redskins. he talks about the history between the two teams. >> good to have you on the show. >> how are you? >> you're almost a lifelong fan. >> that's right. >> the books are incredible. if you're a big redskins fan these are must have. this is the most recent one, right? >> yes, football vault. >> what's in here. >> a great compilation of redskins memorabilia from over the years. ticket stubs, trespasses, game program covers. >> we should have had you on before christmas because if you had a redskins fans on your christmas list, encyclopedia, everything you want to know. >> a journalistic accounted of -- account of redskins history. back to the early years of the team. >> this rivalry, you just told me something during the break

here that i did not know. this is a big game this weekend. it feels like a big game. it's bigger than we thought. >> this is a marquee match-up, actually this is the first game since 1979 that the two teams have met, first -- final regular -- first final regular season game where there's been playoff implications to both squads. 1976 the redskins were bidding for a playoff spot, same thing in 1996, the last game at rfk, cowboys already won the division. 2007 the cowboys had already won the division but this game is huge. >> we are going to show some clips from some of those very games that you mentioned, the final game which i was at which when the redskins weren't all that great but they beat the cowboys in the final game of the season and the shawn taylor game as well. of course, you know, when we think about this rivalry, we do think about the big games, the nfc championship game of course

in 1983. where do you think -- we don't know what's going to happen in this game, obviously, but in terms of what we are looking at and what is on the line where do you think this game will fall historically in redskins- cowboys match-up? >> this will come behind the 2nfc championship games, the '72 game december 31st, 1972, a redskins win, sent the skins to super bowl 7 and then the january of '83 game which you referred to. the cowboys hold a sizable advantage in overall play throughout the series but the redskins have won both games when the stakes have been highest. this game will match that '79 game in terms of its magnitude in the rivalry, falling right behind the 2nfc championship games. >> i hate the fact that dallas leads overall in this rivalry and it's a sizable lead as you say but in some ways doesn't

that make us that more jazzed up to get them and put them down? >> oh, absolutely. many people are envious of the cowboys, they hold this mystique and actually there's a sense of arrogance about them, the big star on their helmets, the hole in the ceiling in the texas new stadium where god can watch them play. so you just want to stick it to the cowboys. maybe envious is the wrong way to describe it but there's like this hatred toward the cowboys. >> right. over the years, you know, during the tough times of the redskins -- the redskins have had, which is much of the last 20 years unfortunately, there have been some bright spots here and there, but -- and sometimes where they have made the playoffs, but one of the disappointing things has been the fact that these -- many of these games have not been meaningful games. >> that's correct, right over the past two decades the redskins have been struggling and really when you look at it this way, since 1996, the year

after the cowboys won their last super bowl, the redskins and cowboys have won the same number of playoff games. year after year the cowboys are -- they are either put on the cover of sports illustrated or everybody thinks they are going to win the nfc east but the teams have won two playoff games each since 96. >> they do seem to get, you know, obviously i'm a redskins fan, got the tie and everything but they do seem to get a pass when it comes to a lot of the national coverage and that kind of thing, although this year i have to be -- i have to say i am impressed that everyone across the league has focused on rgiii and what he brings to the table, what he's done. >> of course he's revived the franchise. now the deal is looking absolutely like the perfect deal, shanahan couldn't -- and bruce allen and company couldn't have done any better and this game will really solidify rgiii's stance here

in washington as the future of the franchise. i mean, he will be the guy. it's also a huge game for tony romo of the cowboys, because over the years he's sort of gained this reputation where he hasn't been able to win the big one so a lot riding on the game for him too. >> for both teams and you think you're absolutely right when you look at it from the other side as well, if romo can't win the game, it solidifies the rap he's got. you can get us there but you can't win the big one. >> he posts a lot of big numbers in recent weeks actually. he's been putting up hundreds of yards of passing per game. they don't have much of a running attack. i think that's their issue and they can't win along with the passing -- alone with the passing, so if he doesn't pull this one out, i think he's going to have a bad rap for quite a while. >> first time redskins meet. it's great to have you here. >> thank you, tony.

>> and construction on the washington redskins training camp could begin as soon as next week. the skins will hold their summer training camp in richmond for the next eight years, part of an economic incentive deal they made with virginia. the facility going to cost about $10 million. it will be built behind the science museum of virginia. two football fields, a locker room with a weight room. a drill field and spectator area. the looming fiscal cliff with republican lindsey graham and dianne feinstein and the benghazi attack. a preview when we come back. gwen tolbart will be back with the workweek preview. stay with us. we will be right back. it's embarrassing it's embarrassing! we can see you carl. we can totally see you. come on you're better than this...all that prowling around. yeah, you're the king of the jungle. have you thought about going vegan carl?

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the so-called fiscal cliff is looming. a live look now at the capitol where lawmakers held negotiations into the night and early this morning. they will be con convening

-- convening once again this afternoon. >> at the top of the hour, we are going to have an exclusive interview with senators diane phi stein and -- feinstein and lindsey graham. maybe they have gotten word as to how these negotiations are going between the two senate leaders and they will be able to let us know the chances for a last minute compromise. >> do we expect we are seeing to see something like -- probably not the grand bargain we had all been talking about, but are we looking now at some sort of stap gap legislation or do you think there will be other details in there? >> well, the answer is, yes, it would be a stopgap measure. it's not going to be a grand bargain, it will doing nothing about entitlements or spending. the most you can hope for is something that would extend the bush tax cuts for a certain level whether it's 250,000 and below or 400,000 and below, something like that, so that

about 98% of americans would not see a tax increase next year, possibly something on the estate tax, possibly something on extending unemployment benefits to the 2 million people who will lose those benefits in january and just about nothing else. so it will take care -- it would take care of the tax side of the fiscal cliff but i suspect it will do nothing about the spending side and that hundred billion dollars in automatic spending cuts which is called the sequestration would go into effect on january 1st. >> but then they still have a few days i'm assuming chris, even if sequestration does go into effect, it doesn't go right away. they have time to work it out? >> exactly. if they can't get it by the deadline, it may take some weeks to do that but it doesn't kick in immediately and agencies can delay, you know, if they have like an 8% cut over the course of the year, they can do little in january and february and hope that

congress does something about it later on in the year. so, you know, in that sense, if they are able to avoid the tax increases for most americans, they will have taken away the vast majority of the impact of the fiscal cliff. >> and i know also you will be talking with senator feinstein about her plan. she says day one she is going to submit legislation to renew the assault weapons ban. >> that's exactly right, january 3rd, thursday of the new congress she says she is going to introduce legislation to -- a ban on the high capacity magazine clips that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition at a time. she is a big supporter of gun control, lindsey graham, a card carrying member of the national rifle association, he supports wayne lapierre's proposal to put armed guards in schools. >> thanks for your time this morning. i know a lot going on on capitol hill today. normally a quiet day but lots

going on today. >> you bet. and one more thing, go skins. >> absolutely. we can't forget that. >> can't forget that. >> thanks so much, chris. >> you bet. >> and you can catch fox's sunday at 9:00 a.m. right after our show. as lawmakers here in washington work to avoid the fiscal cliff, some people having a little bit of fun with the looming deadline. check out this electric road sign in portland, oregon. it appears that someone hacked it and changed it to read fiscal cliff ahead january and february. no word on who the jokester behind the road sign is. i guess sometimes you have to have a sense of humor to get through all of these things. >> yes, to get through everything, you're absolutely right and hopefully some people had a little bit of sense of humor yesterday even though -- >> yesterday was fine. >> wasn't so bad in some areas and today we've got winds, really gusty winds to be concerned about so hang onto your hat so we will have a little humor there. take a look at our map. satellite radar composite showing you that all of the precipitation moved off pretty much to the northeast heading to the canadian maritimes

leading up to clouds and over the the potomac highlands has high pressure. we are talking gusty winds. here's a look at the current temperatures, 38 degrees at reagan national airport, 34 at dulles and 35 at dwi thurgood marshall. up to 35 or 40 is possible and creating some significant wind chill. so it really only feels like it's in the low to upper 20s. make sure you bundle up as you're heading out. don't be deceived by the sunshine today. partly sunny skies, gusty winds, 39 degrees our daytime high. the winds will be gusting at least up to 35 miles per hour. and windy and cold but today those winds will improve and the skins game is going to be cold and chilly out there. >> but there will be lots of people jumping up and down and cheering. >> that will keep them warm.

>> thanks, gwen. it has been one roller coaster of a ride in a political arena. there's been everything from the presidential election to the supreme court decision on health care reform and the retirement of longtime lawmakers. we will take a look back on the year in politics when we return. ?ñ

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there is never a shortage of stories in the world of politics, and 2012 was a very busy year from the drama of the presidential campaign to some landmark decisions by the supreme court. fox's craig boswell has a look back. >> 2012 was a make or break year for political careers, especially in the high stakes campaign for the white house. president obama ran unopposed for his party's nomination and seems like -- seemed like a shoe-in for reelection. >> don't boa, vote. >> but a sluggish economy, high employment made the 44th president vulnerable. >> the president's policies have clearly not been successful and reigniting this

economy and putting people back to work. >> reporter: earning his party's nomination was not as easy for mitt romney. a ballot glitch was discovered and he had to share the win are rick santorum. he eventually became the republican nominee and emerged from the battle bruised. >> moderate in 1996 and we lost. we tried running immoderate in 2008 and we lost. i don't see how a massachusetts liberal is going to do better. >> he is the worst republican in the country to put up against barack obama. >> romney's campaign saw several ups and downs but appearing confident and in command during their first debate romney threw president obama off his game with the president delivering a surprisingly shaky performance. >> the first debate sets the tone and can have the most impact but look, this is a series.

>> reporter: mr. obama regained his footing by the third and final debate and ultimately won reelection. >> the best is yet to come. >> the margin of victory was slim when it came to the popular vote but looking at the electoral college it was a decisive victory. >> i have called president obama to congratulate him on his victory. >> ron paul who opted not to seek reelection in order to focus on his white house bid is one of several members of congress who will retire this year. representative barney frank, david dryer and dan burton from the house, joe lieberman, olympia snow and ben nelson will join 21 members of the house and five other members of the senate in hanging up their congressional careers. 2012 also marked a milestone in implementation of president obama's health care law. in a 5-4 decision back in june, the u.s. supreme court ruled the major crux of obama care the individual mandate is

indeed criminal constitutional. >> happy and pleased. >> the decision was the result of lawsuits brought by 26 state attorneys general against the federal government who claimed mandated participation was violation of american's freedom. >> republicans won't let up whatsoever in our determination to repeal this terrible law. >> the justices heard arguments from both sides in a record setting three-day hearing back in march. at the time it was unclear which way the justices were leaning as both conservative and liberal justices seemed to question its validity. >> do you not have a heavy burden of justification to show authorization under the constitution? >> purchase insurance in this case, something else in the next case. >> if the government can do this, what else can it not do? >> there are still several outstanding suits challenging the law meaning obama care will still be a hot button issue into 2013. as 2012 winds down it resembles

2011 with congressional republicans finishing out the year locked in another showdown with the white house over taxes and spending. but the average family caught -- with the average family caught in the middle. in washington, craig boswell, fox news. lots of strong winds today, a cold day as well. the winds will be gusting up to 35 or 40 miles an hour. definitely hang onto your hat. here's a live shot outside. we have a few clouds but tonight, well, we will see a little bit of a -- full forecast just ahead, a look at the skins forecast and that all important new year's eve forecast. we will be back after the break. eak. off the wall is coming up next and only one thing to talk about in this town this week. >> it's all about the redskins and cow pokes sunday night. who is going to win? will you make an official prediction? >> i am guaranteeing i tell you who is going to win this game. >> locked and loaded after the break. >> no doubt. bet your house on it. ó

some of the top stories we are following this morning, the clock is ticking until we go over the fiscal cliff. the house and senate are expected to go back into session this afternoon. senate leaders hope to get legislation on paper by tonight with hopes of taking a vote tomorrow. and the clock is also ticking toward the biggest game in recent memory for the washington redskins. they will face the dallas cowboys at fedex field tonight. the winner wins the nfc east. the skins won the first meeting this year, 38-31. and gwen says it is going to be very cold out there. >> it is. >> but hopefully fan cheering will keep them warm. >> i think so. i think they are going to forget about the cold and get into the spirit of that all important game out there. lots to talk about weatherwise. take a look outside, it's a live shot down on wisconsin avenue from our tower cam and you can't really see much going on there right now as far as the wind is concerned, but we have some gusty winds that are happening outside right now and definitely going to be sticking around for most of the day. as far as sky conditions are

concerned, not too bad but definitely gusty winds in our forecast. we are going to have more sunshine by this afternoon. we have quite a few clouds there this morning but things are going to improve. new year's eve is looking pretty good for you as well but we do have some early precipitation making a little bit of an appearance for the beginning of 2013. so we will talk about that as well. in the meantime, satellite radar composite, we had a few snow showers over the potomac highlands over the course of this morning. there was an advisory. that has ended. most of the action now is over well to the east and off to the northeast and we are left with the two clouds. temperatures, 38 degrees at d.c., 35 at baltimore, 37 at quantico this hour, 34 at dulles, a chilly 32 at cumberland, the same at winchester. the winds are strong. winds gusting at quantico, 28 in the city, 36 at gaithersburg. over the course of the afternoon this is going to range anywhere from 35 to about

40-mile-per-hour wind gusts off and on but they are also creating wind chills. so you factor in the temperatures and the winds and this is what it actually feels like outside, a pretty chilly 28 in d.c., only 22 in gaithersburg, 22 in hagerstown as well and 23 in winchester so you want to bundle up if you're heading out today. don't be deceived by that sunshine. it is really going to be chilly out there and feel even colder and we are not alone. take a look at the national temperatures, jet stream well to the south, allowing all this cooler air to just filter in so we've got some, you know, teens and look at this, 8 degrees in fargo in north dakota so the colder air is really just penetrating most of the country and sticking its way through in central portions and invading into the east. so not getting too much of a break anywhere temperaturewise. it is chilly. we are going to see a ridge of high pressure be in control in the course of today and for tomorrow we are going to see mainly partly cloudy skies. new year's eve is going to be dry and chilly but we've got this frontal system that's going to start to move in.

that's going to present in the late, late hours into monday night, new year's eve and into the early hours of new year's day a slight chance of very, very light snow or light rainfall. so just be prepared for that. so we are keeping an eye on that, nothing major going to be happening but just a little bit of that precipitation. futurecast showing you as we move through into monday -- well, it's gone by too fast. the light snow and the light rain. in the meantime, 39 degrees for today, then gusty winds, partly sunny skies, for tonight a chilly 29 degrees, mostly clear and cold. here's a look at your kickoff at 8:20 tonight, it will be 34 degrees, mostly clear skies and cold, bundle up and your fox 5 accuweather forecast once again as we move through into the early hours of new year's day, 2013 comes in with very light snow or light rainfall and other than that, we are looking at dry conditions right through until the end of the week but

it's going to get cold out there. >> thanks so much, gwen. >> okay. and in sports, the wizards on the road to face the bulls. they went on an 11-0 run to cut the deficit. sadly, though, wouldn't be enough. chicago roared back and they go on to win 87-77. in college hoops, george mason and south florida, the patriots trail until sherrod wright took over. he had a team high 22 but his team could get no closer than two. george mason is beaten by south florida. this one would never really be close. the ciewrgz took a -- cougars took a 17-point lead into the break, went on to beat virginia tech. the hokies open up acc play next saturday hosting maryland.

navy marched into at&t park for the fight hunger bowl against arizona state. the mid shipmen came in winners of seven out of their last eight games but their winning ways would end here. second quarter the 52-yard touchdown. arizona state led 34-7 at the break. they would pile it on in the second half. the sun devils go on to beat navy 62-28. now to the pin stripe bowl at yankee stadium. syracuse and west virginia got into a pregame scrub. as for the actual game, west virginia got on the board in the 32-yard touchdown on a screen, but again that wouldn't be enough. syracuse goes on to win 38-14. and of course all sports are being trumped in the d.c. region by the skins-cowboys match-up tonight. washington needs a win to clench first place in the nfc east and the playoff spot and they are going to need help.

this will be robert griffin iii's biggest test. griffin threw 44 touchdown against dallas on thanksgiving. many experts believe he will need another big game if washington wants a w. rgiii says he is ready for the challenge. >> would you play big on the big stages, people tend to write good things about you. we all want to play well on the big stage or in a prime time game or in a game like this this comes -- this that comes down to a division. it's like a conference championship game in college, the last game of the year is a championship game and we got to win this championship. >> we came back from being 3-6 and now 9-6. it says a lot about the character of the team. we have to finish. we are not done yet and we are not satisfied with what we have done. ultimately only one team is happy in the end. >> what will it take for a skins win? fox 5's dave ross here to debate the xs and os.

>> off the wall, dave ross with the martin, wiz. it's all about one thing, the cowboys and the redskins, the biggest game arguably that we have seen in d.c. in -- well, at least as long as we have been here, decades. how long have you been here? >> 10 years. >> 18 for me and i can't recall a bigger game. >> i said decades. >> what are the keys to victory? >> run the ball, stop the other team on defense, don't let dallas get -- because dallas has skilled players with harris, miles austin and bryant, they have skilled players. tony romo is okay. the key is going to be if the redskins secondary can shut down those particular scale of players, the running game is okay. >> i agree. >> they got to stop the long ball. >> i would tend to agree with that but that's what they do. you don't want to let demarco

murray get going. my concern is the other side of the ball because if i'm the redskins and red cross red cross with the knee -- robert griffin iii -- if his knee is okay we can run it with effectiveness. >> i don't think the knee is going to be okay. you don't magically heal up, two weeks later and you're like i'm taking the brace off because it's dallas, that's not the way it works. >> the d linemen that can crash down on the run on alfred morris. >> here's the thing, this is where it all comes back to coaching and play calling. >> uh-huh. >> you're going to have to game plan for this because everything goes out the window. it is a rivalry game. everybody knows about alfred morris, they have seen plenty of rgiii, now with rgiii with a big brace and a bad knee, you have to actually coach and game plan for the dallas cowboys. >> yeah. >> so now that's going to be another key component in this

game. >> the problem for me, though, if you're talking about just the pocket passers, you got to protect them in that pocket and i don't know if that offensive line is going do just that. >> maybe he doesn't have to run. he can shuffle a little bit. you can shuffle with a bad knee. running is an issue. you can shuffle and move around. >> are you going to give me an official prediction? >> yes, the ones who score the most points are going to win this ball game. i guarantee you. you bet your house on that. >> the team with the most points is going to win. >> i got a secret source. >> that means he does not want to pick a winner. >> i told you who is going to win? >> who? >> the team that scores the most points. >> here we go again. you're going to go with that live? >> am i not live? >> no. >> case closed. >> which team will have more points? >> the one that wins. >> for this edition -- we will see you on monday. hopefully the redskins will be celebrating an nfc east crown. >> the runs are going to win. >> really? >> yeah. coming up a green

alternative to getting rid of your christmas tree and let's just say it involves some farm animals. 

here's one way to get rid of your christmas tree. in rhode island a petting zoo is letting their animals chow down on them.

the simmons farm has 50 goats and apparently those goats are into pine. the cows and sheep are now getting in on the feast as well. so curbside recycling or petting zoo recycling, either one is a good idea. we are -- a live look at capitol hill where lawmakers are getting ready to convene this afternoon and later this evening hoping to get legislation on paper to avoid the automatic tax increases that are coming up. a few clouds out there, melanie. we are going to see partly sunny skies today but we also have strong winds to deal with, so -- but let's take a look at what we are expecting as we look ahead. the skins, 34 degrees for tonight, mostly clear but it will be cold, bundle up. kickoff at 8:20 so hopefully that excitement of the game will keep you warm. in the meantime, new year's eve, we are talking becoming mostly cloudy during the day but a chilly new year's eve. we are looking at a little bit of light rain or snow possibly as we move into the first